Another Way Part 2
by Salt-the-Catgirl
Summary: A sequel story to "Another Way" set nearly 10 years after the Sotoba Slaughter when suddenly Vampires are making themselves known world wide.
1. 1 - No More Hiding

Note from Author: Five stories later, and I'm still writing for this couple. I have my own characters to take care of, yet I can't tear myself away from Tohru and Natsuno. Weird. Anyway, this is a sequel story to "Another Way" set a few years after Natsuno and Tohru's encounter with the (until now) unnamed Hunter. It's kind of a cross over in a way, too. Will try to keep it rated T, but depending on future chapters we'll see if it stays that way.

"Another Way" can be found here:  s/9724212/1/Another-Way

_**Chapter 1: No More Hiding**_

It had been nine years since Tohru and Natsuno had left Sotoba, and eight since they had opened their first restaurant under the guise of two teenaged brothers who had no one but each other to rely upon. They were closing in on their tenth year and were planning on moving. Natsuno already had it all planned out, this time he would set the records on himself and Tohru a little different, listing them both eighteen. They would still be listed as brothers, but it had been a long time since they had been shy about certain displays of affection in front of others. Let the outsiders wonder, it kept things interesting.

As always, Natsuno was still the dominate personality between the two of them, calling all the shots, while Tohru happily tagged along behind him. Drinking Natsuno's blood had made some considerable changes in Tohru on a physical level. It seemed as though it made him faster and stronger after feeding from Natsuno, and his body had permanently become much warmer to the touch, almost to the point that it had been when he was still human.

Unfortunately, Tohru was still moonlight bound. He had to avoid anything that involved UV rays and still went into a deep sleep when the sun rose. He was a little jealous that Natsuno had the privileges of a day walker. This was something Natsuno had taken notice of and took every effort to be considerate towards. He himself thought it unfair and sometimes wished the roles had been reversed, that if either of them deserved the sun it was Tohru, not himself.

As Natsuno and Tohru were setting up to open what they believed to be the last night in their restaurant, Natsuno heard Tohru give a quiet sigh. "Tohru?" Natsuno asked, looking over his shoulder.

"It's nothing, Natsuno," Tohru said. "It's just, it's almost been ten years since Sotoba. Are we going to have to pick up and move and start over again every so many years?"

When Tohru worded it like that, it almost made Sunako's harebrain scheme to create a town of nothing but Shiki sound reasonable. Too bad she hadn't gone about it in a different manner. "Come here," Natsuno sighed and went to Tohru's side, wrapping his arms around the blonde Shiki and kissing his cheek. "I'm sorry, Tohru-Chan. We'll stay in one place as long as we can. It's just one of those burdens we'll have to bare."

Tohru gave a soft smile. Natsuno was right, of course, and he knew it. He snuggled up to Natsuno. "I can do that," his arms gently wrapped around Natsuno's waist, "As long as I have you at my side, Natsuno."

Natsuno smiled and ran his hands through Tohru's unruly blonde curls. The meek little Shiki knew the Jinrou would never leave him. "You needn't worry about that, Tohru-Chan," he assured him. "I'm not going anywhere without you." Natsuno gave a light chuckle. "Think of it this way, maybe you'll find yourself with a whole new group of girls trying to fight you for my attention."

This made Tohru giggle and pull away, giving Natsuno a gentle shove. The two of them were already beautiful as humans, but now as Vampires that had been doubled, 'nature' did everything in it's power to make the Okiagari more attractive in order to allow them to lure in victims. Too bad for nature this pair was squandering that gift, as neither of them hunted. Tohru was capable of drinking Natsuno's blood, and Natsuno didn't need to drink it at all. They were both good at attracting local admirers, which often made up the bulk of their regular customers. But while Tohru happily made friends with his admirers, he found himself playing head games with Natsuno's. The thought of finding a new set of 'playmates' was rather intriguing. "Maybe so," Tohru giggled.

They finished setting up and opened their doors. Since it was to be their last night, and it was only the two of them, they split the work with the kitchen and the tables, so neither of them would become too overwhelmed.

A few years back, they had installed not just a radio, but a couple of televisions as well. While Tohru was taking the order of one customer, something on the news caught his attention. He stopped and looked at if for a moment. Tohru turned and called toward the kitchen, "Oi! Natsuno! Come here, quick! You've got to check out what's on the TV."

Natsuno set the stove to low and curiously made his way into the dining hall. Tohru signaled for Natsuno to shut off the radio while he began to turn up the sound on the television. "The rumors are true," the female reporter said, "It seems that everywhere across the globe, Vampires are 'coming out of their coffins' and trying to mainstream themselves into today's society."

Tohru's grip slipped on the remote, and it plopped in the floor. He didn't dare move to pick it up. Natsuno came up beside him and put a gentle, comforting hand on Tohru's shoulder. After what happened in Sotoba, naturally any humans that survived would have been spreading the tales over the past few years. But the reporter said this was on a global scale. The two of them stood breathless as they listened. "It's all thanks to a new drink being produced in Japan that allows them a substitute for human blood."

Tohru felt staggered, and probably would have fallen over if Natsuno didn't have such a good hold on him. The customers began to murmur and whisper, why had this announcement caught the two teenaged boy's attention? Natsuno had to think of something to prevent a complete panic. "I guess I'll have to buy some tomorrow and add it to the menu," he said. He couldn't help but wonder, would this stuff really work like they said? Natsuno had figured out that by mixing his own blood with human food in a blender, Tohru could handle it just fine, but he hadn't shared that information with anyone. Did this stuff work like that?

The two of them looked at each other a bit uncomfortably. Should they tell their regulars the truth? On the other hand, this was the answer to Tohru's earlier question. They finished tending to their customers, ignoring the customers who claimed the whole 'Vampire' thing was just a PR stunt for the new drink and they couldn't believe the newscasters were gullible enough to buy into it, or that it must be a really slow news night. No, Tohru and Natsuno knew there had to be something to it, and some of the regulars were already eyeing the two as if they knew.

After they closed and finished cleaning, Natsuno caught Tohru's wrist and lead him back to the bedroom. After their first encounter with a Hunter, an elderly woman they later learned was known as Miko Misaki, Natsuno had decided to share a room with Tohru, rather than continue sleeping down the hall. They both seemed to sleep easier when they were in the same room anyway. Natsuno pushed the door shut and pulled Tohru over to the bed. They were both bursting at the seams and had been waiting all night to be able to talk about the news. "No more hiding, Tohru-Chan," Natsuno said, kissing the blonde Shiki. "Looks like we're staying put after all."

Tohru nodded, "I'm glad we're staying."

"But you're nervous about what kind of problems this will bring along with it, right?" Natsuno asked. Tohru nodded. This was another effect on the two of them that seemed to come from Tohru drinking Natsuno's blood. Humans have an uncanny knack of finishing thoughts and sentences of their lovers and closest friends. Natsuno and Tohru could do this too, but they could sometimes outright visualize what one another was thinking. Muroi Seishin had told them that he and Sunako had a similar link, but as she didn't feed from him as often as Tohru did from Natsuno, it was no where near as strong.

Natsuno smiled and leaned in, passionately kissing Tohru. Tohru blushed and gave out a soft moan, his hands slipped on the blankets and he fell back on the bed. Natsuno stifled a chuckle and climbed on top of Tohru, gently poising a knee between Tohru's legs, a 'dirty trick', as Tohru called it, he used when he had Tohru right where he wanted him. Their eyes locked as Natsuno leaned down for another kiss. "Whatever comes our way, Tohru, we're in it together," he reassured the Shiki.


	2. 2 - They Expect Us To Drink This Stuff?

Note from Author: So I looked at the Shiki Wiki while writing this chapter. There's no mention of blood types. You'd think in a show about Vampires, their blood type would have been something worth noting, even if it didn't have any influence on the plot. Oh, and hey! Tohru-Chan's friend from Chapters 4-6 in the last one gets a name.

_**Chapter 2: They Expect Us To Drink This Stuff?**_

Natsuno made a few phone calls the next day to find somewhere to purchase a supply of this new drink. He discovered it came in just as many flavors as there are blood types. So he purchased four cases of each, three for the restaurant and one for himself and Tohru to try themselves. He was a little curious, if it worked so well for normal Vampires, would it also benefit Jinrou the way human blood does?

The cases were delivered and Natsuno put most of them away in storage. He took one bottle of each from the spare cases and set them on a tray. He picked up a bottle of 100% O+ and began reading on the back how the drink should be served. It could be served room temperature or cold, but was best served warm. Also, the other flavors could be mixed in with one another until the Vampire found a flavoring to their liking. He and Tohru would have a lot of experimenting to do.

Natsuno picked up the tray and carried it back to the bedroom. It was almost time for Tohru to come out of his dead sleep, anyway. He sat the tray on the bedside table and rejoined Tohru on the bed. At some point while Natsuno was away, Tohru had rolled over to face the wall and grabbed hold of one of his bears, which was now nestled tightly against his chest. Natsuno smiled at the sight, even in a dead sleep, Tohru still managed to occasionally toss and turn like he did as a human. He sat on the bed and gently rolled Tohru over, laying the blonde Shiki's head in his lap. Tohru had a death grip on the bear, however, and managed not to let go of it while being moved. After a while, Natsuno heard him give a slight moan and felt him begin to move around a little. "Finally awake?" Natsuno asked.

Tohru blinked his eyes open a couple of times and yawned. "Yeah, I think so," he said, rolling over to get up. "Mnnh…" He yawned and stretched and sat the bear back in its spot along the far wall. The first one Natsuno had bought him had quickly become his favorite, and somehow that was always the one he managed to grab hold of. Tohru wrapped his arms around Natsuno and snuggled up to him. "You been awake long?" he asked.

"Since noon," Natsuno said. "I've been kind of busy." Natsuno pointed at the tray.

"Wow, you managed to get some?" Tohru asked.

"One case of every flavor for us to try ourselves, and then another three cases of each to sell. They come six to a case," Natsuno said, "And there's as many flavors as blood types, so I hope this stuff sells."

"It's worth a shot," Tohru said, looking over the bottles. He looked over the flavors, trying to remember what his own blood type had been, and realizing he never knew what Natsuno's was. He began to wonder if the reason Natsuno's blood had always tasted so much better than anyone else's was because they were both the same type. Maybe this stuff worked like that too, the flavor that you would find yourself liking the most would be closest to your own blood type when you were human. Tohru picked up a bottle and twisted it open.

"How is it?" Natsuno asked as Tohru put the bottle to his lips and began to drink.

Tohru forced it down, pulled the bottle away and let out a cough. "Hell, they expect us to drink this stuff?" He passed the bottle to Natsuno.

Natsuno took the bottle and turned his nose, it even smelt unappealing. He took a single sip and jerked the bottle away in a similar fashion. "Damn, and here I thought the real stuff tasted awful," he sputtered with a cough, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth.

"Maybe it's like beer, the more you drink it, the more it grows on you," Tohru said sitting back on the bed next to Natsuno. He looked at the other bottles. "It's going to take a long time to figure out which one I can stand."

Natsuno gave one more cough and put the cap back on the bottle. "Well, whatever ones you don't drink, I'll just keep the left over of those spare cases as extra incase it's needed. "At least you have them so you can try using them as quick snacks, anyway."

Tohru smiled hearing this. He slid around behind Natsuno, resting his head on the Jinrou's neck and wrapping his arms around his waist. "Yeah, as snacks," he giggled, pulling Natsuno's collar away from his neck and gently kissing Natsuno's neck. Natsuno blushed and smiled, tilting his head to allow Tohru better access to the vein. Tohru used his lips and tongue to tease Natsuno for a moment, trailing kisses along the vein before finally letting his fangs sink in to drink. After nearly ten years, Natsuno didn't flinch as much any more, but he still gave that soft, exasperated gasp of pleasure.

Natsuno smiled as Tohru fed from him. "Of course, you never needed this stuff in the first place. But it'll work as a good backup."

Tohru giggled as he pulled away from Natsuno's neck and licked it clean. "Admit it, Natsuno, you'd miss this if I started relying on that stuff altogether," he chirped.

Natsuno smiled and pulled Tohru into his lap and kissed him. "You know I would."

Tohru snuggled up as close to Natsuno as he could get. "Your blood tastes much better anyway, but I will at least give this stuff a chance on the sidelines."

Natsuno looked at the clock. "Damn, I didn't realize it was so late, already."

"Huh?" Tohru looked up at the clock. "Aaaw… We would be open tonight, too, wouldn't we?"

"I can't believe I let you sleep in, I wasn't even paying attention," Natsuno sighed.

"You do know the prince is supposed to wake Sleeping Beauty up with a kiss, right?" Tohru teased with a wink.

"Yeah, if you're four years old," Natsuno smirked. Tohru gave him a confused look. "In the original version, she woke up during child birth."

Tohru blushed and jumped out Natsuno's lap, rubbing the back of his head, that was going to be the end of that conversation. "Well, guess I'd better start getting ready," Tohru said.

"I'll leave you to it," Natsuno chuckled, kissing Tohru's cheek and heading back toward the kitchen.

Tohru put on a change of clothes and ran to the private bathroom to wash off with a wash rag and tried to run a comb through his mess of blond curls. SNAP. Tohru sighed, tossing the broken comb in the trash, "There goes another one."

Seishin was the first customer to arrive, and he was early. However, Sunako had followed him for the first time in all these years. She stood outside, hoping that Natsuno or Tohru one would cave in when they saw her and invite her in.

"What's she doing here?" Natsuno growled when he saw Sunako standing outside with the monk.

Seishin smiled and opened the door. "So, you two did decide not to move on after last night," he said. "Mind if we come in and talk?"

"You've always been invited in, Mr. Muroi," Natsuno nodded, his eyes settled on Sunako. So this innocent looking little girl with empty black eyes was the Shiki Queen of Sotoba? You never really can tell a book by its cover. "She's not going to eat my customers if I let her in, is she?"

Sunako frowned. "So you're Yuuki/Koide Natsuno?" she said quietly. Her eyes silently scanned over him. This was the fifteen-year-old boy Tatsumi had found such a threat? The boy who was killed by his best friend and came back as a Jinrou and killed her strongest Jinrou? She smiled. "I think I see what it was Mutou Tohru saw in you," she giggled. "You do indeed appear very strong, and you are quite handsome."

Natsuno raised an eyebrow. "Flattery won't get you anywhere with me," he said, turning his head. "But, on the other hand," he thought to himself, "At least she didn't bring up Shimizu."

"Sunako?" Tohru's voice broke the silence that had fell upon them.

"Muroi-San, you didn't tell me Mutou Tohru was here too, only the Jinrou?" Sunako said quietly looking up at him.

"Didn't I? I thought sure I had told you he wasn't alone," Seishin said adjusting his glasses.

"Perhaps, but I'm certain you didn't tell me whom he was with. Now I understand why he's hesitant to invite me inside," Sunako said. "I promise I won't cause any trouble, Yuuki-Sama. I've been away from your Shiki long enough my powers should no longer have any influence over his mind, and your customers are safe, as long as I'm at my Jinrou's side."

Natsuno looked at Tohru. "Give us a minute to talk about it," he sighed, shutting the door. Natsuno walked over to Tohru and gently caught hold of the blonde Shiki's arms. Natsuno had swore he wouldn't let Sunako anywhere near Tohru ever again, if he thought it meant trouble. This was going to be Tohru's call. After a moment of discussion, Tohru sighed and glanced over at the door where their last known two 'Clansmen' were still standing. With Seishin's frequent visits over the past few years, Natsuno had at least been in the company of another Jinrou from time to time. "Well," he finally said, "We do have that new stuff you were going to add to the menu." He used a thumb to point toward the door. "They could be our guinea pigs, see if they like it."

Natsuno chuckled and playfully rustled Tohru's hair. "Tohru, sometime's you're brilliant. Why don't you run grab some bottles out of the pantry."

Tohru nodded and turned to head for the pantry, while Natsuno went back to the door. "Ok, here's what we're going to do. You're both welcome to come in tonight, and Mr. Muroi, I'm even willing to serve you on the house tonight, if the two of you will agree to do something for us in exchange."

"I'm not accustomed to people making demands of me, Yuuki-Sama," Sunako said quietly.

"Sunako, please, let's hear him out at least?" Seishin asked for the sake of peace.

"Very well," Sunako conceded.

"We had planned on moving tonight, finding somewhere new. After the news yesterday, there's no need. People will figure it out sooner or later. I've got some bottles of the stuff. You can have whatever you want from the menu for free tonight, if you'll try out a few bottles," Natsuno explained, "But any signs of trouble and I'll have to ask you both to leave."

Sunako and Seishin looked at each other silently for a moment. Sunako quietly smiled at Seishin and the two of them nodded at one another. Seishin looked back at Natsuno with a smile. "I think we can work with that," he agreed.

Natsuno smiled one of his 'whatever' smiles; after all this time, Tohru was still the only person able to make him give one of his true smiles. He opened the door wide, "Then come on in," he invited them. Seishin gently took Sunako's hand in his and led the female Shiki inside the restaurant and over to his usual table. Tohru brought back a few bottles of the drink, and sat them down on the table for the two Okiagari to test taste while waiting on the older-looking Jinrou's order to be brought from the kitchen.

Sunako took one sip of the O+ O- and hissed as she pulled it away from her lips. "They expect us to drink this swill!?" she sputtered.

Tohru stifled a giggle, remembering he'd had the same reaction. "I wasn't too fond of the ABO+ either," he said, "But, I'm sure we'll find a flavor one of us likes eventually."

"Is it difficult for the two of you to run this place by yourselves, Mutou Tohru?" Sunako asked as she reached for a bottle of 100% AB+.

"It becomes a little hectic from time to time, Sunako, but for the most part, we're able to handle it," Tohru answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering, since this is a night time restaurant, if you'd be interested in hiring a little extra help?" Sunako asked.

"Not my call," Tohru said. "I may be the oldest both as a human and as an Okiagari, and I may be the Shiki who sired him as a Jinrou, but Natsuno calls all the shots."

"Geez, make me sound like an overbearing asshole why don't you?" Natsuno grumbled as he came back into the room with Seishin's order.

Sunako surveyed the room, "Not many customers tonight?" She sipped at the 100% AB+ and licked her lips, "Oh my, this one's much better," she smiled.

Natsuno shook his head at how dainty and dignified she was acting, was this truly the terrible creature that had brought destruction to an entire village? "Well, we thought last night was going to be our last night here, so a lot of our regulars probably think we're gone. As for your question about hiring help, Sunako, are you asking for yourself and Seishin, or do you know someone else who needs a late night job?"

"The four of us are the last of our clan, as far as I know. I've stayed away these past few years because I know you're wary about me. But, I'm responsible for what you both have become. I'm not asking you to allow us to move in, that's asking too much, but I am offing to help you keep this place running. You and Seishin can work together during the day to tend to whatever needs to be tended during those hours, and I will gladly help Muotu-Sama with the customers."

Tohru and Natsuno gave each other a quick sideways glance. Tohru shrugged. Natsuno sighed. "Let me sleep on it, alright, but no promises!"

Sunako smiled, "That's all I ask."

The wooden spokes on the door clanked as it slowly swung open. "Hey, you guys are still here? We thought you two were leaving. We came by to see if we could catch up long enough to say goodbye before you left out," the customer at the door said.

It was the group of regulars Tohru had made friends with, the ones who had gone to the theater with him the night Miko Misaki had intercepted them. "Change in plans," Tohru said happily, walking over to greet the customers, "You guys hungry? It's kind of slow tonight."

"Yeah, sure, why not? The usuals, at our usual table, Yuuki-Kun," the ring leader of the group said.

"No need to write that down, Tohru, I heard them loud and clear," Natsuno chuckled, waving to the customers as he turned and headed back to the kitchen.

"Yuuki… Kun?" Sunako asked quietly, looking at Seishin.

Seishin nodded. "When they reentered society, the only way a fifteen year old and an eighteen year old could legally stay together without adult supervision was to list themselves as brothers. Registries see Natsuno as the older brother, and Tohru a younger sicklier brother reliant on the elder's care. That's why Natsuno is the one making all the calls. Tohru has willingly taken the roles of Jinrou as the servant and Shiki as the master and reversed them to the other way around," Seishin replied, in a hushed voice, just loud enough for Sunako and Tohru to pick up. "So, Tohru is no longer Mutou Tohru but Yuuki Tohru."

"So in other words, Natsuno got himself and Tohru married without all the fuss?" Sunako quipped. Tohru over heard this and blushed a bright shade of red and Seishin nearly choked on the piece of Sushi in he'd just put in his mouth.

"Well, that's one way to put it," Seishin chuckled, once he'd finally regained his composure.

"Muroi-Sama, I'm sorry," Sunako said, trying not to laugh at Seishin's reaction, "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine, Sunako," Seishin nodded, readjusting his glasses and returning to his meal.

"Say, Yuuki-Kun, come here for a minute?" the customer said flagging Tohru closer.

"What's up Minami-San?" Tohru asked, heading back to the table.

"That thing on the news last night, about that drink that's allowing the 'Vampires' to come out of hiding?" Minami started. "What was it that made it so important to you and your brother?"

"Uh… Wha…? I, um…" Tohru rubbed the back of his head, not sure how to reply.

"It's alright, man, we're all friends here," Minami chuckled. "We sort of figured it out. The way you reacted to that crazy old lady at the theater that first time you went with us, the fact that it's nearly been teen years and you don't look a day older than when we first met you, and your interest in the report yesterday; you're a Vampire, and your brother's part of your flock-which is why he hasn't aged either, right?"

Flock? A word obviously chosen over 'herd' to describe a Vampire's selection of willing blood donors. Clearly Minami kept brushed up on his Vampire lore. But lore is lore, and lore isn't always the truth. "Well," Tohru blushed slightly and rubbed the back of his head. Minami was partly correct.

"Dude, that's awesome!" Minami exclaimed. "So have you tried the stuff yet?"

Tohru sighed and nodded, no sense in hiding it, since they figured it out on their own and were ok with it. "Still trying them out," he glanced over to Sunako and Muroi, "But so far I understand the 100% AB+ is pretty good."


	3. 3 - An Unexpected Family Reunion

Note from Author: Not much to say about this chapter. It's kind of bitter-sweet.

_**Chapter 3: An Unexpected Family Reunion**_

Natsuno and Tohru talked the issue over and agreed to take on Sunako's offer, taking her and Seishin as new employees. Sunako was almost instantly welcomed by the regular customers, and got many compliments on how cute and charming she was. However, when Seishin revealed he'd practiced the art of Hibachi grilling, Natsuno had one installed and set him to work on it. Sunako found herself fighting back twinges of jealousy whenever she heard the female customers comment on how good looking her Jinrou was.

Tatsumi had been Sunako's closest friend and most loyal servant before she'd met Seishin. Even now she missed him, but he was not a Jinrou she had sired, and she found herself much closer to Seishin. As she watched the interactions between Tohru and the girls who came in looking for Natsuno, she realized these twinges of jealousy must only be natural. Apparently Shiki are really possessive over the Jinrou they sire themselves. Maybe that was because the Jinrou were willing donors whom the Shiki felt guilty drinking from?

Not many of the regulars had figured out the four of them were Vampires yet. Minami and his friends knew Tohru was, but it was never confirmed or denied that Natsuno, Seishin, or Sunako were. A couple of others speculated, over which of the four were and weren't, but no one ever asked. As for the cute little girl suddenly seen with Seishin, it was explained that Seishin and Sunako were both distant relatives of Tohru's and Natsuno's, that Seishin had been respectful of their wishes to take care of themselves but had become a regular customer to keep an eye on them. Now, however, he had their cousin Sunako to look after and they had hired the two of them on to help them make ends meet. They weren't going to come right out and admit what they were, they were too accustomed to keeping it quiet, but they didn't care if someone figured it out on their own. It was a convincing enough story that people believed it.

The door clanked as a young woman close to her mid-twenties entered the restaurant, with her were five young children, four girls and one boy. It was after dark, but it was the weekend, and still not quite late enough to be too unusual for the children to still be awake. The girl gasped when she saw the waiter. "T-Tohru-Niisan!?"

Tohru looked up at the young lady and blinked, almost instantly he recognized her. Thankfully, the only other customers in the place were the ones who already knew Tohru was an Okiagari. "A… Aoi-Chan!?" Tohru asked.

She smiled and threw her arms around him. "It really is you! Oh my gosh! We'd heard, there was a chance, but never believed," she exclaimed.

"Aoi-Chan…?" Tohru sighed. After everything that happened in Sotoba, his sister was actually happily hugging him to see him there. Even though she knew what the Shiki were capable of, she was happy to see him. Tohru had to stop himself from crying.

Sunako and Seishin looked at each other and quietly slipped out of the room, heading back to the kitchen. Natsuno looked up when they came in. "What's going on out there?" he asked, curious as to why both of them had come into the room.

"Perhaps you'd better go see for yourself," Sunako replied quietly.

"We'll handle things in here for a while, Natsuno," Seishin offered.

Aoi had nearly forgotten the kids that were crowding around her, wondering who this blonde haired boy she was hugging was. She opened her eyes and saw Natsuno walk in. "Ah, Nacchan, you're here too?" she exclaimed happily.

"Wha… Aoi, is that you?" Natsuno asked. "The years have been good to you."

Aoi blushed, "You really think so?"

One of the kids gently tugged on her shirt, "Mama?" the littlest one asked.

"Children, go sit down," she instructed, pointing to the biggest booth she could find. "These are your uncles we've been telling you about."

"Uncles?" Tohru and Natsuno both parroted.

Aoi waved for them to join her at the table. She sat on the outside next to the kids and Tohru and Natsuno sat across from them. "Where do I begin?" she asked. "First off, Nacchan, I suppose I should let you know your father's doing well. I don't know what state of mind he was in last time you saw him, but after you were taken away, he became unstable," Aoi said, trying to be delicate.

Natsuno nodded solemnly, "The old man wasn't in the best of mental health when I last saw him. I was carried away, but came back the same night, his 'sensible' mind couldn't cope with it, especially since my mother had run out on him."

"I see, so you were in Sotoba when everything…" Aoi began.

"Yes, I was," Natsuno said, deciding it was best for everyone's interest she didn't finish that sentence.

Aoi nodded. "After that, when the town began to burn, those of us who could ran. Your mother rejoined your father and he began to recover. Apparently she herself had either left due to Shiki hypnotism or simply wasn't in her right mind for a while, but she got better after she'd left. They adopted the Tanaka children, Akira-Kun and Kaori-Chan. Kaori and Tamotsu are married, Akira married himself a city girl."

"And you?" Tohru asked.

"Well, Kaori and I both lost our first love to someone else," Aoi said hesitantly, but throwing her brother a quick look that gave him an idea who she meant. She smiled when Tohru flinched, and nearly started laughing when he blushed. "With Shimizu's obsessive stalking, and a certain someone being the biggest flirt in all of Sotoba, we both kind of knew we didn't have a chance, though." Now Tohru was beat red, he knew exactly who she was talking about. Natsuno even blushed a little. "I settled down and married a few years back, but my husband and I are separated now. I'm a single work-from-home mother now."

"They're not all yours, I hope?" Tohru asked, taking note of how many she had with her.

"Goodness no," she giggled, "The twins Akari and Natsumi are Kaori and Tamotsu's," she said pointing at the two older girls. "Kenori and Aya are Akira's," she pointed at the second oldest girl and her brother. "And little Toya-Chan here is mine," she said rubbing her hand through the shoulder-length locks of golden curls on the head of the youngest at the five. She smiled, all five of them drew their name sake from an aunt or uncle. "Auntie Aoi's got them all at her place for the a week while we're in the middle of summer break. Next week Tamotsu and Kaori have to deal with them."

Natsuno smiled as Toya-Chan tried to wiggle away from her mother's hand. "I see why you went with that name," he chuckled. "She looks just like you, Tohru, even has your eyes," he said, gently catching Tohru's trembling hand in his own. "I'll bet she's every bit as much of a handful as you are, too."

"Spft!" Aoi giggled. "You don't know the half of it. Everyone but Tohru and Tamotsu had a youngin' named after them by the time she came along. I decided on Toya because it didn't seem fair not to. But, you're right, Nacchan, she's the spitting image of her Uncle Tohru. And just like him, she doesn't know a stranger, I'm constantly having to keep an eye on her. However," she pointed back to the twins, "Akari and Natsumi over there? They're every bit as head-strong and stubborn as their Uncle Akira and Uncle Natsuno, too," she giggled. "But then, Kenori and Aya take after me and Kaori, so I guess it all evens out."

"Aoi, don't think me a mood killer here," Natsuno said, "But you're accepting the fact that we're both sitting in front of you really well."

Aoi nodded. "Akira and Kaori told us what happened, Natsuno," she said, dropping the nickname, realizing she no longer had a right to call him by it. Her chances with him had been long gone years ago. "They told us that you had been attacked, but you never told them by who."

Tohru flinched and looked at Natsuno, "Natsuno, you told someone you'd been bit!?" He hesitantly glanced in the direction of the kitchen, hoping Sunako and Seishin weren't listening. Tatsumi had explicitly ordered Tohru to hypnotize Natsuno not to say anything, but Tohru couldn't bring himself to invade Natsuno's mind like that, hoping, even believing Natsuno would just keep the whole ordeal to himself.

"Like she said, I told the two of them I'd been bit, but I never said by who; it's not like they didn't already know what was going on, and Kaori was sharp enough to figure it out on her own," Natsuno said crossing his arms. Natsuno gave Tohru a silent look that said, _"We'll discuss it later."_ He didn't want to let Aoi leave here realizing what Tohru had done. This was the first time in years Tohru had seen his sister, and for her to know her beloved older brother had done such a thing would destroy her. For her to know WHY he did it would only make things worse, since it had all been done for her sake and the rest of her family. Tohru quietly nodded.

"You helped Kaori and Akira get out of Sotoba after you had turned," she said solemnly. "I already knew you were one. Whether or not you survived the slaughter was a different story. We all thought you dead after that. Tohru-Niisan, however, we didn't know anything. We didn't know if he'd rose up or if he was one of the 'lucky' ones who never came back. Either way, the only solace we had was that he wasn't found amongst the bodies of the Shiki that had been destroyed. Several of Okiagari met horrible ends. They pinned Shimizu with some tractors before they staked her."

Natsuno and Tohru both looked up at Aoi upon hearing these words. Their eyes flashed and flickered their red and blue lights. They had to force them shut and shake their heads to keep their humanistic luster. A weight suddenly lifted from both their shoulders. The monster who's jealousy had forced them into this situation in the first place was gone. Now that they knew, they would never again have to look over their shoulders wondering if they'd find her looming behind them. "Shimizu's really dead?" Natsuno asked quietly, trying not to sound as elated about it as he actually felt.

Aoi nodded. "And Masao, too. He went back to his house, begging his sister-in-law to let him in, she beat him with a golf club then staked him in the sun. Those of us in Sotoba have known for years that Vampires exist, we experienced their influence first hand. I won't deny it scares me to know that they're revealing themselves world wide. I don't want to teach these kids to hate or fear anyone, but after what we've been through, how are we suppose to react knowing they're telling the whole world, 'Hey we're here'? If the two of you are amongst them, then there's hope they're not all as bad as what we encountered in Sotoba. And I don't care what form he's in, I'm glad to know my older brother's still in this world." She smiled at Natsuno, "And I'm glad he's with the person who always meant the world to him. I know Tohru-Niisan's in good hands with you, Natsuno. You were already a part of our family back then." Natsuno felt Tohru's hand tighten around his at these words. "I won't ask how the two of you have survived this long; without this drink I can't imagine it's been very savory. I'm just glad to see you both."

"We had already found a better way before this drink came out," Tohru sighed scooting closer to Natsuno.

"I'm different from the Shiki, something called a Jinrou. I'm stronger and faster. I still have a pulse, can walk in the sun, have fewer weaknesses, and can still eat human food to survive. I've provided everything Tohru needs to get by without anyone getting hurt. He can drink this new stuff once he figures out which one he likes, but he doesn't need it," Natsuno assured her.

He wouldn't tell her anything about Tohru's means of survival in Sotoba, and he avoided the words 'drinking blood' not only to ease her mind, but to keep from scarring the children, and to be considerate to any customers that might over hear them. He certainly wasn't going to tell her the agreement that had been made between the two of them. Natsuno had become a Jinrou through Tohru's actions, and Tohru felt remorse for every life he'd been forced to take. Natsuno had no desire to see Tohru destroyed, but if it was something that had to happen, they both agreed he was the only who had the right to do it. If Tohru ever attacked and killed another human, it would fall to Natsuno to do just that. It was not a thought either of them wished to dwell upon.

"I see," Aoi said with a quiet smile. _"Still playing with your food, Tohru-Niisan? Just in a different way,"_ she thought jokingly, blushing slightly. She knew years ago that Tohru was head-over-heels for Natsuno, even more than he was for Ritsuko, and she'd always had a sneaky suspicion that Natsuno felt the same for him, but would never openly voice it. "Thank you for taking such good care of him, Natsuno."

"Well, someone's got to do it," Natsuno teased, rustling Tohru's hair, trying to lighten the suddenly somber mood. He got up from the table. "Tohru you can stay out here and visit if you like. I need to go make sure those two aren't making a mess in my kitchen. Aoi-Chan, you and the kids take your time looking over the menu, order whenever you're ready."

"Do you distrust us that much?" Sunako asked when Natsuno reentered the kitchen.

"I needed some kind of excuse to give him some time with his sister. You two were a convenient scapegoat," Natsuno grumbled, walking past Sunako. "How many customers are still waiting?"

"I'm about to plate the last three orders now," Seishin replied.

"Natsuno-Ojisan?" a tiny voice called from behind him.

Natsuno turned around to find Toya timidly looking up at him. Somehow, being called Uncle sounded more natural hearing it from her than it did hearing the words come from Aoi herself. "Oh my, what a cute little girl," Sunako giggled.

"Toya-Chan, right?" Natsuno guessed, remembering she was the only blonde out of the five kids. Toya nodded. Her eyes really were mirrored reflections of her Uncle Tohru's, honey-brown, and determined to make everyone who looked into them smile. "_Damn, Aoi, I'd like to invite you to come back, but something tells me I'd just wind up spoiling this one rotten_," Natsuno thought to himself as he forced on a smile and knelt down to eye level with her. "Yeah, what's up?"

Toya shifted a little nervously and her eyes darted to the side, squeezing the stuffed rabbit she had in her arms tight, she quietly asked, "Mamma said to ask you where the bathrooms were."

Sunako giggled. "Would you like me to show her, Natsuno?" she offered.

"If you wouldn't mind," Natsuno replied. "Sunako can show you. But," he reached over and gently grabbed the right foot of Toya's rabbit, "If she tries to bite you, just push this in her face and tell her it's your lucky rabbit's foot," he laughed. Toya giggled.

"Biting such an adorable child, honestly, what kind of monster do you take me for?" Sunako asked indignantly, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Not saying a word," Natsuno thought as he stood up.

Seishin looked up at Natsuno and smiled. "I didn't realize you were capable of having a sense of humor, Yuuki-Sama," he laughed.

"Depends on the situation," Natsuno said, a little glad that Seishin at least realized he was teasing. Natsuno had taken to antagonizing Sunako every now and then, but it was no more or less out of spite than Tohru's interactions with Natsuno's female admirers, just all in good fun. Actually, it was more like an older brother teasing his younger sister, something he'd missed out on in life having been an only child. Either way, he was determined to let her know he wasn't going to be pushed around. Just as Aoi said, Toya didn't seem to believe in strangers, as she willingly let Sunako show her the way.

Aoi and the kids were the last customers to leave. Before they left, Natsuno decided to go ahead and invite her back, and to bring the rest of the others sometime if they had the chance. He even waved the fee for the meal, saying he didn't believe in charging family. "You'll do anything to see him smile, won't you, Yuuki-Kun?" Sunako asked.

"Tohru's smile is the most beautiful thing in the world to me, Sunako," Natsuno sighed as he locked the door. "Just as Seishin would do whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy, I would do the same for him. Can you two take care of clean up tonight and lock the doors on your way out?" Sunako smiled and nodded. "Thanks. Good night."

Sunako smiled as Natsuno walked off. He was gruff on the outside, but she could see what it was that had drawn Tohru to him. Natsuno was a nicer guy than he liked to let on, a true diamond in the rough. "Nostalgically romantic, actually," she giggled to herself as she jumped off the booth seat she'd been standing on, practically floating to the floor, and grabbed the broom to start sweeping.

Natsuno went back to the bedroom. Tohru was sitting quietly on the edge of the bed when he came in. Tohru looked up as Natsuno leaned against the door, pushing it shut and locking it behind him, his eyes focused on Tohru. Natsuno smiled at him as he began undoing his tie and the buttons on his shirt. "I asked her to come back sometime, Tohru-Chan. Told her she was welcome to bring any of the family who wanted to come visit you."

"Natsuno…" Tohru stood up and slowly walked over to him. He stood, quietly for a second, looking Natsuno dead in the eyes. Natsuno had told Aoi nothing of the horrors Tohru had endured or inflicted in Sotoba. She knew nothing about how Natsuno had become a Jinrou. Natsuno knew how much Tohru missed his family, but Tohru didn't expect him to openly invite them back. He smiled and threw his arms around Natsuno, hugging his neck. "Thank you."


	4. 4 - Downtime

Note from Author: Short and sweet.

_**Chapter 4: Downtime**_

"I'm telling you, Natsuno, I've tried almost every flavor of this stuff… I've tried all the 100%'s, O positive and negative, A positive and negative, B positive and negative, AB positive and negative, and nearly every combination flavor, I honestly can't find one I enjoy," Tohru grumbled. "Sunako enjoyed the 100% AB+, but it seems the same as all the others to me."

Natsuno was sitting on the bed with a book in hand, Tohru was in the floor with one of his video games on the TV and a bottle of the drink in AB+B+ flavor. They had taken the night off, for some personal time at home. Without even looking away from his book, he reached over and ruffled Tohru's hair, "You're just refusing to admit which ones you like because you'd rather just suck me dry," he teased.

"Hey, that's not fair, Natsuno!" Tohru pouted, leaning against the bed and turning his head up so he could see the dark-haired Jinrou. "I'm really giving this stuff a try. I'm just looking for one that works for me. You know I see you as more than just a food source!" While Tohru had a history of food fights when he was younger, it wasn't until he became a Shiki that he truly understood what his parents had meant when they told him to show more respect for his food and where it came from. Taking the life source of a human and having it explained as the same as a human eating a pig really put it into perspective for him. With his main source of nutrients coming directly from his beloved Natsuno, he was always careful to never waste a single drop. "If I knew your exact blood type, I could try that flavor and maybe I'd actually like it. But you don't know it, do you, Natsuo?"

Natsuno shook his head. "No, for all the sports I was a part of in my first ten years of life, I never had an injury or illness that caused my parents enough concern to take me to the hospital, and I don't know what either of their types were, either." Natsuno flipped his page and shifted his eyes to the side to look at Tohru. Tohru was leaned against the bed, his head tilted as far upward as possible to look up at Natsuno, his honey brown eyes opened in that 'sad puppy dog face' that Tohru was so good at doing. Natsuno could barely keep a straight face. He bookmarked his place and tossed the book to the side. He moved so that he was on the edge of the bed and tilted his head down to give Tohru a soft, though upside down, kiss on the lips. "Don't pout like that, Tohru-Chan, I was only teasing." He smiled and wrapped his arms around Tohru, gently rubbing his cheek against the Shiki's face. "You know I love it when you bite me, anyway."

"Ooo… Is that an invitation?" Tohru giggled hopefully.

Natsuno smiled and kissed him again. "Put on a movie, and hop on up here, beautiful."

Tohru pushed the bottle to the side and switched off his game. While Tohru started looking for a movie to leave on, Natsuno started to take his shirt off, but as he reached for the first button, he felt Tohru's hand reach back and grab his wrist. "Keep your shirt on, stud," Tohru giggled, licking his lips, "I want to enjoy this." Natsuno blushed and nodded. Giving Tohru a quiet smile, he moved his hand away from his shirt. Glancing to his side, he found all three of Tohru's stuffed bears were already turned to face the wall, as if Tohru had already been planning to have some fun tonight. This only made Natsuno blush even brighter. Tohru finally found something to leave the TV set to, seemed he always enjoyed cheesy monster flicks and classic comedies for the most part. Tohru turned up the volume and gave a low chuckle. Something about it made Natsuno shiver. Tohru licked his lips again. "Now…" Setting the remote on the floor, he turned and pounced on Natsuno, wrapping his arms tight around the Jinrou.

"T-Tohru-Chan?" Natsuno gasped, blushing a bright red.

Tohru smiled. "Don't look so scared, cutie," he giggled. "I'm just reversing our roles for the night." He kissed Natsuno full on the lips and began unbuttoning the younger Jinrou's shirt and removed it himself.

"Tohru-Chan?" Anyone but Tohru and Natsuno would have fought back and struggled for dominance. Natsuno blushed and gave a soft moan as Tohru started kissing his neck and chest. "What's gotten into you tonight?" For tonight, however, he decided to let Tohru enjoy the power play.

Tohru smiled. "You may still look fifteen, but it's nearly been a good long ten years since you were that young. Time to stop toying with you and get a little more serious," he giggled. The red lights in Tohru's eyes flickered as they met with Natsuno's blue eyes.

Natsuno gasped when he saw this. Tohru had been trying out a different flavor of that new drink every day for the past few weeks, nearly a month now. Suddenly tonight Tohru was acting almost animalistic in nature. It had been a long time since Natsuno had seen him like this. _"W-what the hell is in that stuff!?"_ he thought. Natsuno shook his head and gasped as he felt one of Tohru's hands reach for the waist band of his pants. Natsuno caught Tohru's chin and pulled him into a kiss, hoping the passion would calm the Shiki down a little. He had no problem letting Tohru have the upper hand, but that wild look in his eyes was almost scary. "T-Tohru-Chan, just don't get too rough, ok?"

Tohru blinked and shook his head for a moment, coming back to his senses. He smiled at Natsuno and leaned in for another kiss. It was tender and passionate. When he pulled away from the kiss, his eyes were back to their normal beautiful brown. One word from Natsuno, and that little monster inside the blonde Shiki always retreated. Tohru gently kissed Natsuno's neck. "Don't worry, Natsuno," he moaned sweetly, "I have no intentions of hurting you."

"You really had me going there, for a moment," Natsuno sighed.

Tohru playfully nipped at Natsuno's ear. "Never again," he promised.

Natsuno smiled and wrapped his arms around his Shiki. "Just shut up and bite me already, huh?" he chuckled with a slight blush. Tohru smiled and nodded, giving Natsuno's neck one more fleeting kiss, he opened his mouth and bared his fangs. Natsuno blushed and closed his eyes as he felt the tip of Tohru's fangs gently scritch across his neck. "Tohru, c'mon', stop teasing, will ya'?" He gasped as Tohru's fangs finally sank in, his grip around the blonde tightening ever so slightly.

As Tohru drank from Natsuno, his hands returned to the Jinrou's chest and gently, slowly worked their way back to Natsuno's pants. Tohru was no longer acting like the frenzied animal he had been a minute ago, but there was still quite a bit of heated passion in his movements, and Natsuno loved every minute of it.


	5. 5 - Shut Up And Bite Me

Note from Author: I had two different ideas, one of some guy trying to rob the restaurant while the Jinrou were gone, or Natsuno's three admirers coming back and antagonizing Tohru and Sunako while the two were out, but I'm running out of excuses to send the Jinrou away, and I'm ready to finish this story; so I compromised with a character who has a history with all four of our dear little Okiagari.

_**Chapter 5: Shut Up And Bite Me**_

Tohru and Sunako were alone in the restaurant. The two Jinrou had gone out to take care of some things in town, and felt they could trust the two Shiki to handle the place alone for a while. Though, in truth, they were both a little apprehensive about leaving their Shiki unattended. If there was one thing the two of them had agreed upon a long time ago, it was the irony how they were both younger than the Shiki that had sired them, and yet they found themselves doing a lot of 'baby sitting'. They weren't complaining when they agreed upon this, just found it ironic.

"We'd probably better head back, soon," Natsuno said, slinging his back pack over his shoulder. "If Sunako's anything like Tohru, our 'kids' are probably climbing the walls back at the restaurant without us," he smirked.

"You'd be surprised how often Sunako has literally done that in my absence," Seishin quietly replied.

Natsuno blinked at him. "And you accuse me of not having a sense of humor, I can never tell when you're serious and when you're joking."

Seishin shook his head, "I'm dead serious. I've literally come home to find her hanging from the rafters out of anxiety because I've been gone too long."

"Shit, we'd better get back quick then, don't want her freaking out the customers," Natsuno smirked.

"Quite," Seishin nodded.

Meanwhile

Tohru was in the kitchen, letting Sunako tend to the customers. So far, there were still only a small handful of customers that had figured out any of the restaurant's 'staff' were Vampires, and still those had mostly only figured out Tohru. Sunako sneered as she turned her back on the less tolerant customers who spouted hate rhetoric about the Vampires who had 'come out of the coffin' thanks to this new fangled drink. It took a lot of her willpower not to bite them where they sat.

"Kill 'em with kindness, Sunako," Tohru said when she slumped back into the kitchen, having overheard the conversation out front. He giggled, "Now you know why I tend to scrape my tongue across my fangs when I get nervous. 'Course, having finally found a flavor of this stuff that I can bare to drink when Natsuno's not around tends to help, too." He pointed at an open bottle of AB+ AB- that appeared to be half drank.

"So you finally found one that works?" she asked.

"Yeah, finally," he chuckled.

"So that's your type, huh?" Sunako asked reading the label. "Well, to each his own, they say," she giggled. "Does it remind you of Yuuki-Kun?"

"No, none of the flavors do. This is just the one flavor that I find the most bearable. And let's just say I'm never touching AB+B+ ever again. Natsuno was half convinced I was going to rip his jugular out last month. I'm just wondering how long it'll be before they release 'diet' versions," he joked, making a face that suggested he wasn't thrilled with the thought.

Sunako curled her fingers in front of her face to try and hide a dainty little giggle. "Is that the night where the two of you reversed your roles?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?" Tohru looked up at her.

Sunako smiled. "The Jinrou often serve the Shiki, not the other way around. But you've been rather complacent letting Yuuki-Kun be the master of the house. You've always been the gentle unassuming sort, perfectly happy with being the submissive little 'whipping boy', so to speak." Sunako stood with her back facing the counter and with one quick leap, she effortlessly landed so that she was sitting on the counter, so that she could be at eye level with her conversation partner, crossing her feet at the ankles. "However, I understand that you became quite dominant a few nights back." She leaned back on the counter a bit. "How did that feel?"

"It was alright. I kind of enjoyed it, but I've always preferred to be dominant in a different manner," Tohru said.

Sunako tilted her head curiously, "What do you mean?"

Tohru smiled. "Same thing as you, Sunako. The cute and innocent act is just a means to an ends. It lets everyone else around you think they're in control of the situation, when in actuality, you've got them so wrapped around your finger they'll do whatever you ask of them because you know just the right way to look at them, and the right tone of your voice to use. I may let Natsuno call all the shots, but in the end, I always get my way," he explained.

Sunako giggled. "That's evil, Tohru-Kun."

Tohru gave a soft chuckle, "Well, deep down, everyone has a little monster inside, we just have to find the right people in our lives who can keep it under control. For me, that's Natsuno, so I let him hold my leash as tight as he wants."

"So? How did Natsuno like the role reversal? He doesn't seem like the type who would willingly let someone else take charge," Sunako pried.

"I was surprised, he didn't put up a struggle at all," Tohru replied, "Not the first bit of fight out of him at all. Though, with my fangs in his neck, my left arm around his stomach, my right hand at his sweet spot, and my…" Tohru blushed, closed his eyes and shook his head, realizing he was giving way too much information. He blindly waved a hand back and forth in the air for a second, as if trying to erase the mental image he'd givne himself, before pushing his hand to his forehead and brushing his hair back away from his face. He opened his eyes and looked back at Sunako. "Well, let's just say he found himself in a triple Decker of pleasure that night," he giggled.

Sunako blushed, a finger innocently, yet curiously poised at the edge of her lips. She quietly blinked at the blonde Shiki, almost daring to ask for more detail, but Tohru's euphemisms and innuendos were more than enough to send her imagination racing. She shook her head and covered her face which had flushed beat red. _"Oh no, what AM I thinking?"_ she thought to herself.

"By the way, Sunako," Tohru said.

"Huh?" she looked up at him.

Tohru snapped a finger and pointed at the floor. "Down! Natsuno'd kill us both if he comes back and finds you sitting on the counter during business hours." Sunako nodded and jumped off the counter just as easily as she had jumped up. "And Sunako, I hope this goes without saying, but this conversation doesn't leave this room. It's just between you and me," he smiled.

Sunako nodded and smiled back. With the images that had just danced through her head of the two eternally teenaged Okiagari, she wasn't sure she wanted to admit to having taken part in the conversation anyway. "You needn't worry about that, Tohru-Kun," she said trying not to blush. "I'm not a gossiper, and I don't air out other people's dirty laundry."

Sunako picked up the dishes that were ready to be served and handed Tohru the most recent order tickets. She slipped back outside to deliver the dishes and froze for a moment. Sitting in one of the booths was Doctor Toshio Ozaki. Her eyes widened. The two of them had never met face to face, but she recognized him from that day at Kanemasa back in Sotoba when the villagers had mobbed around the gate insisting Seishirou undergo a quick physical to prove he wasn't an Okiagari. She and Chizuru had been watching from the windows inside the mansion as it was late enough in the afternoon they could both be awake, but there was still too much sun light for the two of them to go outside. "Now what? I don't know if he'd recognize me or not, but there's no way he'd mistake the boys," she thought, "He was the doctor that pronounced Tohru-Kun dead and ran the clinic Tohru-Kun's father was administrator over. He was working with Yuuki-Kun to destroy the Shiki, even though it was on his own terms. … And he and Seishin have been close friends since childhood. I dare say they were almost as close as Tohru and Natsuno." Another blush crossed her face. She shook her head. Odd that the doctor was now nearly forty-two years old and didn't look a day older than he did back in Sotoba, maybe a little more hardened, but definitely not older. He'd never been turned, but perhaps between Natsuno and Chizuru drinking his blood, his aging process had been slowed. Sunako slowly backed her way back to the kitchen. "Tohru-Kun!" she whispered, waving for the blonde Shiki to join her in the hallway.

"What's up Sunako?" Tohru asked.

"Sh…!" Sunako put a finger to her lips to shush him, and pointed to the booth where the doctor was sitting.

Tohru's eyes widened, "Is… Is that Ozaki-Sensei!?" he gasped.

Sunako nodded, "That's what I was afraid you were going to say. I don't think he'll recognize me. But the rest of you…"

"Yeah, I know and any minute now, Natsuno and Muroi-Sama are going to walk through that front door," Tohru nodded. "Thankfully it's another slow night. Well, we can't keep the other customers waiting, either. Go on out there, and holler if there's any trouble."

Sunako nodded and walked out into the dining room, acting as natural as she possibly could. She apologized to the customers for the wait, explaining two members of the staff had gone out to run some errands and would be back shortly. She took some more orders and ran those back to the kitchen before coming back to take Dr. Ozaki's. "Good evening sir," she greeted him in a sickeningly sweet voice. She gave him the whole, 'Welcome to our establishment, I'll be your server tonight, are you ready to order or do you need some more time,' spiel and did her best to remain as pleasant about it as possible.

"If I'd known this place hired Okiagari, I never would have set foot inside," Toshio scoffed. Sunako's eyes widened at this statement, but before she could speak, he continued. "Well, whatever, I'm here now. Despite your appearance, I'm sure you're old enough to serve up a bottle of sake. So, I'll take one of those while I look over the menu." Sunako quietly nodded and turned to head back to the kitchen. Something told her he was looking for a fight. Did he know he could find Natsuno and Seishin here? Surely he had a bone to pick with both of them over what happened in Sotoba.

"Well, he took one look at me and knew I was an Okiagari," she sighed as she walked into the kitchen. "I don't know what he's up to, but he's ordered a bottle of sake."

Tohru nodded slowly. "Just be careful around him. When the humans rose up against us in Sotoba, he was the ring leader," he warned, as he pulled out a bottle of sake, which he began heating, and a serving cup.

"You needn't remind me of that," Sunako sighed quietly. "He was the one who revealed Chizuru to the humans at the festival. He told them what she was and let them stone and stake her. I won't deny I'm a little frightened to even know he's sitting out there."

"I'd offer to take it out there myself," Tohru started.

Sunako shook her head. "No, he knows what I am, but I still don't know if he knows WHO I am. It's possible that in these past nine and a half years he's become a hunter and can tell who is and isn't Okiagari. He'll know you the moment you walk in the room."

"Alright, but like I said, first sign of trouble, call for me," Tohru insisted. Sunako nodded, taking the now heated sake bottle and carrying it to the doctor's table. Tohru flicked his tongue over his fangs and turned his attention back to the stove. As far as he and Sunako were concerned, that doctor sitting in their dining hall was more of a monster than any number of Okiagari.

Toshio waited until all the other customers had left before he finally placed an order. Now Sunako was even more worried as to what the doctor had up his sleeve. While she was in the kitchen, Toshio got up and changed the sign on the door to read closed. He'd been waiting until he was alone with the Shiki. He sat back at his table and reached into his pockets.

Sunako felt uneasy when she came back into the room with Toshio's order. There were no other customers. She hadn't realized yet that the sign had been changed to keep anyone else out. She slowly approached the doctor and sat his order on the table. "Here you are, sir," she said quietly.

Toshio smirked at her. "Don't act like you don't know me, little girl," he said, "Because I certainly know who you are." He pulled a charm out of his pocket. Sunako gasped and shrank away when she saw the holy talisman. Even worse, as it swung back and forth on it's rope, there was a bell attached that softly rang.

Sunako covered her ears and backed away from him, hissing at the sound. "What do you want?" she snarled.

"When Yuuki/Koide Natsuno bit me back in Sotoba, he said he wanted to rid us of every one of you, including himself. But I knew there was no way we got all of you," Toshio said, his eyes fixated on Sunako.

"So you're here to finish the job?" Sunako hissed. "There's no need for it anymore. You can't rid the world of all of us, especially now that this new drink is allowing us to reveal ourselves."

"I don't intend to rid the entire world of Okiagari and Vampires," Toshio said. "But how is it fair that all those humans and Shiki died back in Sotoba, when YOU are still here? Yes, I know you, Kirishiki Sunako. You're the one who started it all, the one who turned my town into a blood bath. It was your damned servant Tatsumi who turned my wife Kyouko into one of you monsters!"

Sunako's eyes widened. "That's when you went off the deep end, isn't it? When your wife became one of us. Before you blame me for turning that town into a blood bath, why don't you take a look in the mirror!?" Sunako hissed. "You're a doctor, your job was to SAVE lives, not take them, yet you killed Shiki indiscriminately. YOU rallied the humans against us, you let them kill Chizuru in a public execution! You allowed them to kill other humans in cold blood if they were so much as suspected for harboring us. You and your villagers were no better than those people who burned witches at the stake during the Salem Witch Trials in the West! My people were just trying to survive!"

Sunako was sobbing, but she'd raised her voice to the point she was nearly screeching. Hearing her in the kitchen, Tohru cut the stove and came in to see what was going on. "Sunako…?" he called.

Sunako was frozen, her hands still on her ears as the bell continued to jingle as the holy talisman continued to swing from Toshio's finger. "Tohru-Kun, stay back!" she squeaked in fright.

"Tohru?" Toshio asked, looking up with a smirk. "Oh, the bitter irony continues to grow. If it wasn't for that boy right there, Yuuki/Koide would have never joined forces with me in the first place."

Sunako and Tohru both looked at him with wide eyes. "What are you talking about?" Tohru hissed.

"When Natsuno returned as a Jinrou, he came to me, because I was the only adult who knew what was happening that he felt he could trust. He said that if Tatsumi and Shimizu had never forced him to watch as they attacked you, he would have turned a blind eye to what was happening. But they took you from him, so he looked for a way to destroy them before you came back as one, but he was too late. He was bitter about the fact that you attacked him, willing or not, you still took his life and turned him into a Day Walker. He was determined to rid the world of every one of you in Sotoba, including himself. Yes, he drank my blood and hypnotized me. He knew I'd been in contact with Chizuru and that she would eventually bite me. So to ensure her hypnotism wouldn't work, he bit me and told me to do things my way," Toshio explained. "To think the one person that meant so much to him, to cause him to go to such lengths would be here…"

"I never wanted to hurt Natsuno, but I was cornered with no way out," Tohru sighed, trying to keep his eyes averted from the charm swinging from Toshio's finger. "What happened in Sotoba is behind us, but not without regrets from every party involved. It's best to learn from it and leave it in the past as a reminder to help prevent it ever happening again." Sunako blinked at Tohru's unexpected words of wisdom.

Toshio frowned. He was alone now, not with one but two Shiki, and the cross and bell dangling from his hand was proving only big enough to subdue the girl. He reached into his pocket for something bigger. Keeping the bell ringing, he pulled out a slightly bigger cross. That did it, both of them shrank back from him. Sunako hissed and scrambled under a table, at the end of the room, covering her ears, trying to drown out the ringing bell. Tohru was already up against the wall, unless he slid to the edge of the wall and ran for the kitchen, he had no where to go.

The two Jinrou approached the restaurant and looked around a bit confused. "It seems rather quiet, doesn't it?" Seishin observed.

"Quieter than usual, that's for sure," Natsuno agreed.

"Why is the closed sign up?" Seishin asked, noticing the sign on the door.

"Shit!" Natsuno growled, "What's he doing here?" Seishin's eyes widened when he looked through the window and saw who Natsuno was talking about.

The two Jinrou came barreling in through the door. "Tohru/Sunako!?" they both called out in unison.

"Toshio?" Seishin called.

"Natsuno/Seishin!" the two Shiki cried out in relieved response when their Jinrou burst through the door calling out to them.

"So, now I'm faced with four of you, am I?" Toshio sighed. "Tell me, Seishin, how long have you been one of the enemy, now? And Natsuno, what happened to your, 'I'm going to destroy them all including myself' bravado, hm?"

"Don't you dare address him so familiarly," Tohru snarled, clenching his hands in fists.

"Ozaki-Sensei, put the crosses down, and let's talk," Natsuno said, trying to hide the smile that wanted to creep across his face in reply to Tohru's jealousy.

"BITE ME!" Toshio snapped.

"I already have once," Natsuno reminded him.

"Don't tempt me," Seishin grumbled, adjusting his glasses and crossing his arms.

The eyes of all the others snapped on Seishin, it was an unusual, and certainly unexpected response from the normally calm and gentle, gray haired, eternally thirty-two-year-old Jinrou. Sometimes it was so easy for them to forget the Junior Monk was one of them. Toshio smiled, "You'd probably enjoy that, wouldn't you, Seishin? I'll ask again, how long have you been in bed with the enemy?"

"Jealous, Toshio?" Seishin asked pushing his way past the doctor, and easily snatching the religious relics out of his old friend's hands. "These toys don't work on Natsuno and myself, Toshi Darling," his green eyes locked with Toshio's brown ones as he tossed the crosses over to Natsuno, who quickly tossed them in the trash. "Need I remind you I was a monk, and Natsuno's family raised him against religion? If you have any others, I suggest you discard them, now." Seishin sat in the seat of the booth where Sunako had wedged herself and gently pulled her up into his lap.

"Seishin…!" she sobbed, throwing her arms around him.

Natsuno pushed his way past Toshio as well. "Tohru-Chan, are you alright?" Tohru nodded. Natsuno turned his attention to Toshio. "It's long past time for the killing to stop, Ozaki-Sensei," Natsuno said, gently wrapping his arms around Tohru. "None of us are proud of what happened back in Sotoba. As you can see, my suicide attempt failed. And if this one right here had been destroyed I would have found another way that would have worked. But as long as he's safe, I've got something to fight for." Natsuno smiled and gently kissed Tohru's lips. _"Screw public displays,"_ he thought as he did so.

Seishin gently stroked the top of Sunako's head, like a father comforting his daughter. "Sit down, Toshio!" he said in a commanding tone. "And for God's sakes listen for once in your life!" Toshio flopped down in the seat across from Seishin, never could he remember the Junior Monk taking such a firm stand on something. "Regardless of how some of us may appear, we're all adults here, I would hope we could behave like them for a few minutes," Seishin reminded them all, as he sat Sunako down on the seat next to him. "You asked how long have I been with the Shiki? I had made Sunako's acquaintance long before we realized what was happening in Sotoba wasn't an epidemic. By the time the truth was revealed, she and I were already close friends. I would have been willing to talk with the both of you as a mediator to find a better way to resolve things if you had taken any of my help and advise seriously when it was offered. Don't blame her for the wedge that came between us, Toshi."

"You've got some gall calling me that after all this time," Toshio said, his eyes narrowing at his former friend. Natsuno felt some serious déjà vu, it was as if he was watching an older brown-haired mirror version of himself talking to Tohru after that first attack. Natsuno quietly shook his head to try and rid himself of the thought.

"You want to know what really drove us apart, Toshio?" Seishin asked, resting his chin on his fingers, with his elbows on the table. "As a monk, killing has never been my way. When Kyouko lay dieing, and I saw you were losing the only person that meant more to you than myself, I tried to be there for you. But you were ignoring the plights of your staff, and you were snapping at your patients. You barely spoke to me. Then when Kyouko rose up and you called me in. I saw the look in your eyes. You had lost all grounding in reality at that moment. She was tied to that bed, probably scared out of her wits as you conducted who knows what sorts of ghastly experiments on her before you finally plunged that stake through her heart, then you had the nerve to ask me to help you clean up the mess you had made. I refused to take any part in it. Naturally we would drift apart after that. You're a doctor, Toshi, sworn to save and protect lives, I was a monk, sworn to save and protect the souls of the lives you were to preserve. Naturally I turned to Shiki after that. They were acting the only way they knew how to try and survive. I did not condemn either side. There were no good guys, no bad guys, only two different types of people who were trying to survive. I don't know nor do I care what happened between you and Natsuno before the blood bath began. The two of you could have slept together for all I care."

"Sleep with each other?" Natsuno and Toshio parroted. Natsuno blushed and had to grab Tohru's wrist to hold the blonde Shiki down, sensing his sudden urge to pounce the gray-haired Jinrou for even suggesting such a thing. Sunako turned her head away and tried to stifle a giggle as a blush crossed her face, for once Tohru seemed physically jealous over someone, and Sunako found the whole thing rather cute. Natsuno and Toshio both looked at each other for a brief moment, then quickly looked away, "As if!" they said in unison.

Tohru and Seishin both heaved a quiet sigh of relief. Seishin cleared his throat and continued. "As for how long have I been one of them? I was still human when your truck full of an unruly mob nearly ran me off the road. They chased me back to the temple. I know Ookawa Atsushi killed your mother in a manner to make sure she never rose up after you killed Chizuru. But let's all be honest here, did we really want YOUR mother to come back? An eternity of her overbearing screeching. However, when the humans couldn't find where I had hidden in the temple, they slew my mother and the other monks in cold blood. My mother didn't deserve that Toshio! She was one of the sweetest women in the world, and she was killed by her own kind! She and the other monks had nothing to do with the Shiki, and Ookawa Tomio killed them without a second thought. He then attacked me in the woods, cut me straight through the stomach and left me to bleed to death. Having let Sunako and Tatsumi both feed from me before, I returned as a Jinrou and slew the bastard in the old church. Natsuno may have wanted the Shiki gone after what had happened to him and Tohru, but they've made amends with each other and have gotten by on their own without having to involve any humans ever since. This new drink will only make things that much easier on them. However, the humans were the ones who took it too far back in Sotoba. That's why Sunako and I are here helping the two of them now. They've managed to spend their time peacefully amongst the humans for the last nine and a half years. When we heard that Vampires were announcing themselves to the world, Sunako became afraid of retaliation from the survivors and she wanted to be amongst some of our own kind that she knew had proven it's possible for us to all get along. Toshio, if our friendship still means anything to you, then make peace with the past and let it go, before you find yourself repeating Sotoba everyday."

"Bite me," Toshio scoffed, looking out the window.

"Like I said, don't tempt me," Seishin sighed.

"You should choose your words more carefully when amongst Okiagari, Ozaki-Sensei," Tohru said.

"Tohru-Chan," Natsuno blushed, seeing the jealousy still residing in Tohru's eyes, "Calm down will you?"

Tohru looked at Natsuno, as if he wanted to ask him, _"Look me in the eyes and tell me nothing happened between the two of you!"_

"Is this because he called me by my first name or because of the crosses?" Natsuno asked.

"BOTH!" Tohru and Sunako answered, only while Tohru's voice was clearly full of jealousy, Sunako's had a slight giggle in its tone.

"Well, at least you're honest," Natsuno sighed. Having heard Sunako's reply, he gathered the two of them must have had some kind of talk together while he and Seishin were out. "Seishin, if he's serious, bite him for all I care, just don't go killing anybody in my restaurant. Like you, he's been bitten by both a Jinrou and a Shiki, so maybe he'll come back as one of us, and you two will have a life time to make amends." Natsuno grabbed Tohru's arm, "As for you, we're turning in early tonight. Sunako, you two know how to let yourselves out. Doc, if he does bite you and you come back, I'm willing to offer you a job." With that, he drug Tohru back to the bedroom.

"Well," Toshio scoffed, standing up, his eyes locking on Seishin. "You heard the man, let's take this outside."

Seishin stiffened and looked up at the doctor, understandably surprised. "Toshio?"

"Seishin…?" Sunako whispered worriedly, giving the monk's sleeve a gentle tug. It had all been for Seishin's sake that she had ordered Tatsumi and the other Shiki to leave Toshio alone back in Sotoba. She'd never thought of the damage that would be done when Tohru had been ordered to kill Natsuno, just as Cain and Able. But she'd known from the start this was not a path she'd wanted to send Seishin down.

"I don't want to kill you, Toshi," Seishin sighed as he stood up from the booth, gently shaking off his Shiki's concerned hold. "But you have to have regrets or a troubled past in order to rise up as one of us. And you certainly have plenty of both. Very well. Sunako, stay here. I don't want any witnesses. Toshio, let's go." Toshio's eyes opened a little wider, he hadn't expected Seishin to agree so easily.

Natsuno shut and locked the door to the bedroom. Seishin and Toshio stepped outside and into the alley next to the building. "I can't believe you're actually jealous of Ozaki-Sensei of all people?" Natsuno asked, leaning against the door.

"What am I supposed to think, Natsuno?" Tohru asked. "I worked hard to earn the right to call you by your first name, and he just throws it around casually. We have several different ways to bite people you know. Some are painful, some kill, some hypnotize, some simply itch like a bug bite, and then there's the one I use for you, the one you love so much; a bite that's simply brings pleasure."

Natsuno smiled. "I've only drank blood from humans five times, Tohru. I never enjoyed the experience, and it never came from the same person. On top of that, three of those people were or are now family," Natsuno assured him, pulling him close and kissing his forehead. "I promise you, NOTHING happened between me and Ozaki-Sensei, you've always been the only one for me." He pushed his lips to Tohru's for a passionate kiss. Tohru became relaxed, leaning into the kiss with a soft moan.

Tohru smiled and hugged Natsuno. "I guess I was acting a little foolish," he admitted. "But I heard him use your name and it went all over me."

Natsuno smiled and laughed a little. "Tohru, shut up and bite me," he said. Tohru smiled, gently kissed Natsuno's lips, gently pulling Natsuno's collar away from his neck, before leaning in and biting Natsuno's neck.

Seishin backed Toshio against the wall. "You're absolutely certain you want this, Toshio?" he asked.

"Too late to back down now, Seishin," Toshio said. "Like you said, the only other person in the world that meant as much to me as you is already gone. Those kids have each other for eternity, even when everyone else they know or care about is gone. Who do you have left, Seishin? When I'm gone, all that will be left for you is that girl in there. Nobody knows you like I do."

"I have to admit, out of everyone in Sotoba, there's no one I've missed more over these past few years. No one I think I will ever miss more when you're gone. But there's still a chance that if I do this, you might not come back at all," Seishin said, catching Toshio's chin in his hand.

Toshio gave out a slight chuckle, he no longer cared one way or another, "Just shut up and bite me." Seishin sighed and quietly nodded, tilting Toshio's head to the side, he leaned in baring his fangs and bit into the doctor's neck.


End file.
